Hampton Roads Drug Possession Lawyer
Facing a drug possession charge is a serious and intimidating obstacle you might be facing in your life. Drug possession charges can not only affect your reputation and possibly lead to jail time and fines, but it can also impact college scholarships, employment, career opportunities, and may lead to mandatory community service.
If you’ve been recently charged with a drug possession charge, it is important to contact a skilled attorney who can help fight this charge from becoming a conviction on your criminal record. A Hampton Roads drug possession lawyer will be able to consult you on building a strong defense to this charge.
Defining Drug Possession
There are two types of possession:
- Actual possession occurs when an individual has it on their person, in their hands, in their pockets, etc.
- Constructive possession occurs when the drug is not on the person. If an individual is aware of the drug and can exercise what is called “dominion and control,” meaning that the individual knows it is there and is capable of moving it or controlling it, it can still be considered constructive possession. The best example of this is when an individual has marijuana and it is underneath the seat in their car. It is not technically on the person but they put it there, they know it is there, and they could easily reach under the seat and grab it.
Being Found Possessing Drugs
A person could be found possessing drugs in a variety of ways. The most common ways involve traffic stops; in which people are driving and are pulled over and drugs are found in their car. There are also people who are in public, commit another crime, and while they are being arrested, the officer finds drugs on that person. Occasionally, officers will interrupt a drug sale and will catch somebody in the act of a sale. However, that is not common.
Biggest Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest and most common mistake people make is that they admit to everything immediately because they do not want someone else to get blamed. After admitting to the crime, it becomes very difficult to get the charge dismissed because the person has admitted to having the crime. Any attempts to back out of it later are most likely to fail. Another mistake an individual can make is they are not forthcoming with their lawyer about all of the details. By doing this, the lawyer ends up preparing for a case that may have never happened.
Law Enforcement’s Attitude on Drug Possession
Law enforcement considers drug possession a major priority, however, they tend to focus more on the issue of distribution and dealers. When they are looking at dealers, they try to go as far up the chain as possible. They certainly will arrest someone if a person is possessing an illegal drug, but it is not a major concern. Although it is likely that law enforcement will go out of their way for a possession of marijuana case, if someone stumbles onto their path, they will arrest that person for it.
Benefit of Having a Hampton Roads Drug Possession Lawyer
Being charged with possession of drugs is a serious circumstance you can find yourself in. Laws surrounding the legality of drugs can also be complex to understand. It is best to contact someone who is experienced in dealing with laws involving drug possession. A skilled Hampton Roads drug possession lawyer can help build a good case to keep you away from conviction.
